Estimate calories and kilojoules burned while hunting — small game hunting, large game hunting, and hiking with hunting gear — based on your body weight, activity type, and session duration. Figures are drawn from the Fishing & Hunting section of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Hunting effort varies enormously in practice, from relatively light stalking and waiting for rabbits or ducks through to a demanding, multi-hour hike over rough terrain while carrying a rifle and full field gear — which is exactly why this calculator uses three separate tiers rather than a single number. Recreational and pest-control hunting is a genuine activity across rural and regional Australia, including licensed hunting of feral deer, pigs, ducks and rabbits as part of broader feral animal management programs.
Hunting calorie burn depends heavily on the type of hunting, captured here as three tiers: small game hunting (MET 5.0), large game hunting (MET 6.0), and hiking with hunting gear (MET 9.5). The formula is calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours). An 85 kg hunter on a 3-hour session burns 1,275 kcal (about 5,335 kJ) small game hunting, 1,530 kcal (about 6,402 kJ) large game hunting, and 2,423 kcal (about 10,136 kJ) hiking with hunting gear — a substantial energy demand under the most active tier.
| Hunting Activity | MET | Calories | Kilojoules |
|---|
The calculation uses a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for your hunting activity, your body weight, and the length of your session. This calculator uses three MET tiers taken directly from the Fishing & Hunting section of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — small game hunting (code 04120, "hunting, small game, rabbit, squirrel", MET 5.0), large game hunting (code 04080, "hunting, large game, deer, elk", MET 6.0), and hiking with hunting gear (code 04125, MET 9.5). None of these three codes are flagged as estimated in the Compendium — all three are literature-supported entries.
| Hunting Activity | MET | Calories (85 kg, 3 hr) | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small game hunting | 5.0 | 1,275 kcal | 5,335 kJ |
| Large game hunting | 6.0 | 1,530 kcal | 6,402 kJ |
| Hiking with hunting gear | 9.5 | 2,423 kcal | 10,136 kJ |
Hunting spans a wide range of physical effort, which is exactly why this calculator uses three separate tiers rather than a single number. Small game hunting covers pursuing rabbits, squirrels and similar small game — typically shorter bursts of walking interspersed with waiting, watching and shooting, which keeps the overall intensity moderate. Large game hunting, aimed at deer, elk and similar larger animals, generally involves more sustained walking and stalking over longer distances, plus the additional physical demand of field-dressing and moving heavier game, which lifts the MET value a step higher. Hiking with hunting gear is the most demanding tier by a clear margin — it reflects the sustained cardiovascular and muscular effort of covering real distance over hilly or rough terrain while carrying a rifle, pack, ammunition and other field equipment, and is a realistic description of many Australian hunting trips where simply reaching the game is as physically demanding as the hunt itself.
The table below holds the activity constant at the large game hunting tier (MET 6.0) for a 3-hour session, so you can see how much body weight alone changes the total.
| Body Weight | MET | Calories (3 hr) | Kilojoules |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 6.0 | 1,080 kcal | 4,519 kJ |
| 65 kg | 6.0 | 1,170 kcal | 4,895 kJ |
| 70 kg | 6.0 | 1,260 kcal | 5,272 kJ |
| 75 kg | 6.0 | 1,350 kcal | 5,648 kJ |
| 90 kg | 6.0 | 1,620 kcal | 6,778 kJ |
| 95 kg | 6.0 | 1,710 kcal | 7,155 kJ |
Hunting trips vary enormously in length, from a quick morning after rabbits to a full day chasing large game or a long hike into hard-to-reach country. Here body weight is fixed at 85 kg while session length and activity both change, so you can compare how much a longer session and a more demanding activity each add to the total.
| Duration | Small Game Hunting (MET 5.0) | Large Game Hunting (MET 6.0) | Hiking with Hunting Gear (MET 9.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 425 kcal / 1,778 kJ | 510 kcal / 2,134 kJ | 808 kcal / 3,379 kJ |
| 2 hours | 850 kcal / 3,556 kJ | 1,020 kcal / 4,268 kJ | 1,615 kcal / 6,757 kJ |
| 3 hours | 1,275 kcal / 5,335 kJ | 1,530 kcal / 6,402 kJ | 2,423 kcal / 10,136 kJ |
| 4 hours | 1,700 kcal / 7,113 kJ | 2,040 kcal / 8,535 kJ | 3,230 kcal / 13,514 kJ |
Australian nutrition panels list energy in kilojoules, not calories, so it's worth converting your session total into the same unit your food packaging uses. Multiply your calorie figure by 4.184 to get kilojoules. An 85 kg hunter doing large game hunting for a 3-hour session burns about 1,530 kcal, which is roughly 6,402 kJ — a useful figure to weigh up against the energy value of meals, snacks or trail food eaten during a hunting trip.
How many calories does hunting burn?
It depends on the type of hunting and how long you're out. Using this calculator's three tiers for an 85 kg hunter over a 3-hour session: small game hunting (MET 5.0) burns about 1,275 kcal (5,335 kJ), large game hunting (MET 6.0) burns about 1,530 kcal (6,402 kJ), and hiking with hunting gear (MET 9.5) burns about 2,423 kcal (10,136 kJ). Lighter or heavier hunters, and shorter or longer sessions, will see proportionally lower or higher totals, so enter your own weight and session length above for a personalised estimate.
Is hunting a good form of exercise?
Yes, particularly the more active tiers. Small game hunting sits at a moderate MET of 5.0, comparable to a brisk walk with stops, while large game hunting (MET 6.0) and especially hiking with hunting gear (MET 9.5) fall into vigorous-intensity territory. Long stalks over rough terrain while carrying a rifle, pack and other gear add up to genuine cardiovascular and muscular exertion across a full day in the field.
What's the difference between small game and large game hunting in this calculator?
Small game hunting (MET 5.0, Compendium code 04120) covers pursuing rabbits, squirrels and similar small game, typically involving lighter walking, waiting and shooting. Large game hunting (MET 6.0, Compendium code 04080) covers deer, elk and similar larger game, which generally demands more sustained walking, stalking and carrying heavier gear or field-dressing equipment. Both are drawn directly from the Fishing & Hunting section of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
How does hiking with hunting gear compare to hunting itself?
Hiking with hunting gear (MET 9.5, Compendium code 04125) is the most demanding tier here, well above both small game hunting (MET 5.0) and large game hunting (MET 6.0). It reflects the sustained cardiovascular and muscular effort of covering distance over hilly or rough terrain while carrying a rifle, pack, ammunition and other field gear, which is a realistic description of many Australian hunting trips where getting to and from the game is as physically demanding as the hunt itself.
Is this calculator relevant to Australian hunting, like feral deer or pig control?
Yes. Recreational and pest-control hunting is a genuine activity across rural and regional Australia, including licensed hunting of feral deer, pigs, ducks and rabbits as part of broader feral animal management efforts. The three MET tiers used here — small game hunting, large game hunting, and hiking with hunting gear — map reasonably well onto typical Australian hunting scenarios, from a morning after rabbits to a multi-day feral deer or pig hunt over rugged terrain.
How is calories burned hunting calculated?
The calculator multiplies a MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for your chosen hunting activity by your body weight in kilograms and by your session duration in hours: calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours). The three MET values used — 5.0 for small game hunting, 6.0 for large game hunting, and 9.5 for hiking with hunting gear — come directly from the Fishing & Hunting section of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. The result in kilocalories is then multiplied by 4.184 to give the equivalent figure in kilojoules, the unit used on Australian food labels.
Does body weight change how many calories hunting burns?
Yes. Because calories equal MET multiplied by body weight in kilograms multiplied by duration in hours, body weight is a direct multiplier in the formula. At the large game hunting tier (MET 6.0) for a 3-hour session, a 95 kg hunter burns roughly 1,710 kcal compared with about 1,080 kcal for a 60 kg hunter completing the identical session at the identical tier.
What about firearm and general field safety while hunting?
This calculator estimates energy expenditure only and has nothing to do with safe hunting practice, but it's worth noting briefly: recreational hunting in Australia is regulated, and hunters are generally required to hold the appropriate firearms licence and, depending on the state or territory and land involved, a game or hunting licence or permit. Following firearm safety fundamentals, wearing suitable high-visibility clothing where required, checking terrain and weather conditions, and letting someone know your plans are all standard, sensible precautions for any hunting trip.
How do I convert calories burned hunting into kilojoules?
Multiply the calorie figure by 4.184, the standard conversion between kilocalories and kilojoules used on Australian food labels. An 85 kg hunter doing large game hunting (MET 6.0) for a 3-hour session burns about 1,530 kcal, which converts to roughly 6,402 kJ — a useful number for comparing against the energy value of meals or snacks eaten during a hunting trip.